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Index Terms Wood veneer, advanced coatings, wood Fig. 1. Anatomical features of birch [2]
coatings, sol-gel technique.
The main sources of veneers are hardwoods with the more
I. INTRODUCTION complicated anatomy compared to softwoods and as
consequence more complicated wood structure.
The wood has a lot of good economic, technological,
Veneer quality is a factor in construction and industrial
physical and mechanical properties. However, due to the
plywood based on visually observable characteristics. Knots,
influence of environment- rain, sun, wind, temperature and
decay, splits, insect holes, surface roughness, number of
humidity changes- the wood fails to keep and maintain this
surface repairs, and other defects are considered. Veneer
complex of all the properties. It is very important to develop
species and characteristics are also a major factor in
such nano-coatings, which could make the wood more
categorization of hardwood and decorative plywood.
durable and sustainable in outdoor and indoor conditions with
However, when observing the microstructure of a
hardwood sample in practice it is normally easy to see the
Edgars Kirilovs, Institute of Design Technology, Faculty of Material vessels, fibres and parenchyma cells, since the tracheids are
Science and Applied Chemistry, Riga Technical university, Latvia, Riga, very few in number.
Phone: + 371 67089816.
Silvija Kukle Institute of Design Technology, Faculty of Material
The hardwood axial system is composed of vessel elements
Science and Applied Chemistry, Riga Technical university, Latvia, Riga, in various sizes and arrangements, and of axial parenchyma in
Phone: + 371 67089816. various patterns and abundance (Fig. 1). As in softwoods, rays
Laura Kruklite, Institute of Design Technology, Faculty of Material comprise the radial system and are composed of ray
Science and Applied Chemistry, Riga Technical university, Latvia, Riga,
parenchyma cells, but hardwoods show greater variety in cell
Phone: + 371 67089816.
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Nanolevel surface treatment applied to veneered products
sizes and shapes. Vessel elements are stacked one on top of paratracheal parenchyma sometimes forming a band).
the other to form vessels. On the transverse section, vessels Apotracheal parenchyma is not associated with the vessels
appear as large openings and are often referred to as pores and is divided into diffuse (scattered), diffuse-in-aggregate
(Fig. 1). Vessel diameters may be small (<30 m) or quite short bands and banded, whether at the beginning or end of
large (>300 m), but typically range from 50 to 200 m. They the growth ring or within a growth ring. Each specie has a
are much shorter than tracheids and range from 100 to particular pattern of axial parenchyma, which is more or less
1,200 m [2]. consistent from specimen to specimen, and these cell patterns
If all the vessels are the same size and more or less scattered are important in wood identification. The rays in hardwoods
throughout the growth ring, the wood is diffuse- porous. If the are structurally more diverse than those found in softwoods.
early wood vessels are much larger than the latewood vessels, Most species have rays that are more than one cell wide. In
the wood is ring-porous. Diffuse-porous species woods oak and hard maple, the rays are two-sized, uniseriate and
sample and birch have two main types of growth rings and one more than eight cells wide. Such hardwood anatomy specifics
intermediate form. In diffuse-porous woods, vessels either do and differences between species lead to a very complicated
not markedly differ in size and distribution from the early and uneven veneer surface microstructure (Fig. 3). Small
wood to the latewood, or the change in size and distribution is holes are typically created when the wood cells shrink during
gradual and no clear distinction between early wood and the drying process at the mill. Cracks can also occur when a
latewood can be found (Fig. 1). Vessels can also be arranged veneer loses too much moisture (or loses moisture too
in a tangential or oblique arrangement in a radial arrangement, quickly). When this happens, internal stresses become so
in clusters, or in many combinations of these types. In strong that the wood cells shrink, lose elasticity, and then
addition, individual vessels may occur alone (solitary separate from each other. These types of splits are more
arrangement) or in pairs (Fig. 1), or radial multiples of up to challenging to repair. The success rate for repairing this type
five or more vessels in a row. Where vessel elements come in of crack depends on several factors. It is difficult to select the
contact with each other tangentially, intervessel or highest quality logs, because many internal defects such as
intervascular bordered pits ranging in size from 2 to >16 m gum veins, rot and insect damages are difficult to detect from
in height are formed (Fig. 2). the log outside. Probably the most critical aspect of
preparation for finishing is the moisture content of veneered
products. Equilibrium moisture content of veneer are
approximately from 10 to 12 %. High moisture content is
difficult to detect visually so prevention is a key.
B. Birch wood veneer surface modification
One of the different new approaches and possibly one of
the most promising for surface modification of materials is the
sol-gel technology. Probably this technology offer
possibilities to tailor surface properties to a certain extent and
to combine different functionalities in a single material was
Fig. 2. Exposed channel of hardwood showing pit [3] one of the most important developments in material sciences
during the last decades. At the same time the application of
sols treatment can be carried out with the techniques
commonly used in finishing processes such as immersion or
sprinkling following by thermal processing.
Colloid solutions of nano sized oxides particles in aqueous
or organic solvents or in their mixtures (nanosols) today
become more and more popular. Due to the high surface area
of the small particles the nanosols are metastable and during
coating process the particles will aggregate as well as
condense, initiated by evaporation of solvent in result of
Fig. 3. Hardwood microstructure [3] thermal treatment. Process result in dense three-dimensional
networks leading in coatings which exhibit new functions [4].
Fibres in hardwoods function almost exclusively as In comparison with many other materials such as ceramics
mechanical supporting cells. They are 0.2 to 1.2 mm in length, or metals, wood products possess low thermal resistance. The
usually two to ten times longer than vessel elements. The conditions for the treatment and the sol composition have to
thickness of the fibre cell wall is the major factor governing be adapted to the particular demands of material. As chemical
density and mechanical strength of hardwood. Species with structure of such natural fibres as flax and hemp are close to
thin-walled fibres have low density and strength; species with the chemical structure of hardwoods, the sol synthesized for
thick-walled fibres have high density and strength. Pits cotton and lignocellulosic fiber textiles surface modification
between fibres are generally inconspicuous and may be are used. Obtained by this sol modified textile surfaces had
simple or bordered. presented excellent protection from ultraviolet radiation,
Hardwoods have a wide variety of axial parenchyma antimicrobial activity and water repellency. All mentioned
patterns. Paratracheal parenchyma is associated with the properties are important to improve protection of veneered
vessels, and further divided into vasicentric (surrounding the surfaces in outdoor and indoor applications [5].
vessels), aliform (surrounding the vessel and with wing-like Some stains, notably dye stains can fade if subjected to
extensions), and confluent (several connecting patches of long term ultra violet light; if wooden surface is not protected,
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International Journal of Engineering and Technical Research (IJETR)
ISSN: 2321-0869 (O) 2454-4698 (P), Volume-3, Issue-10, October 2015
destruction of lignin could be caused by UV radiation. types of modified wood samples, i.e. 1) modified with silica
Under direct sunlight fading, bleaching or color changes of sol following by two different regimes of thermal
veneered surfaces may occur. Excessive hot sunshine may dry post-treatment 120 oC and 140 oC; 2) modified with silica sol
the veneer surface more quickly than substrate thereby with Zn diacetate precursor following by thermal
causing appearance of small surface checks parallel to the post-treatment at 120 oC and 140 oC.
grain and possible damage of the coating. Surface treated with Fig. 4 illustrates an equilibrium state of a drop of liquid
the sol will become more protected due to the restricted water surrounded by a gas at a solid surface. This is the fundamental
vapor transmittance. basis for the Youngs equation (1) and is expressed as:
It is well known that all chemical substances and alcohols
should be removed immediately from all veneered surfaces to LG cos = SG SL (1)
avoid their damages. Water repellency property doesnt allow
liquid to penetrate into surface and make it easy-to-clean. where is the liquid-solid-air contact angle, LG and SG
Antimicrobial properties are necessary in a wide range of are the surface free energy of the liquid (L) and the solid (S),
uses such as furniture of public and hospital premises, respectively, exposed to a gas (G), and SL is the solid-liquid
kitchen, dining room and bathroom furniture, outdoor interfacial free energy [5].
constructions and furniture etc.
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Nanolevel surface treatment applied to veneered products
172 www.erpublication.org
International Journal of Engineering and Technical Research (IJETR)
ISSN: 2321-0869 (O) 2454-4698 (P), Volume-3, Issue-10, October 2015
[3] Shmulsky R., Jones D. Forest Products and Wood Science.
Wiley-Blackwell. 2011, pp 496.
[4] E. Sumo Sakka, Handbook of Sol-Gel Science and Technology:
Processing, Characterization and Applications, Springer, 2004, pp
1980.
[5] S. Vihodceva, Extension of the Range of Textile Modified at
Nano-Level. Latvia : Institute of design technology, Department of
material technology and design, 2014. Doctoral Thesis.
[6] J. Schultz and M. Nardin, Theories and mechanisms of adhesion. In:
Adhesion Promotion Techniques, Technological Applications. Eds.
K.L. Mittal, A. Pizzi, Marcel Dekker Inc. 1999. pp. 126., ISBN
9780824702397
[7] J. C. Berg, Role of Acid-Base Interactions in Wetting and Related
Phenomena. Wettability. Ed. Berg, J.C. Marcel Dekker, 1993. New
York. pp. 75148.
IV. CONCLUSION
Birch veneer modification with acetic anhydride for
reduction of surface wetting and moisture absorption capacity
was not confirmed in experiments and is not considered
usable.
Birch veneer modification with Si sol-gel integrated CAD
and appropriate technological parameters for 30 minutes
holding of 30 minutes lasting thermal post-treatment at a
temperature of 140 C enables a significant reduction in the
surface wetting and moisture absorption capacity, at the same
time providing a good link with the glazes and the bottom
paint, but reduces adhesion to the glue used in experiment.
Modification with the silica sol-gel with CAD precursor
regarded as a targeted treatment that provides substantial
birch veneer moisture absorption and surface wetting
reduction. In order to ensure the sufficient adhesive strength,
the processing must be carried out by spraying the modifying
sol to the protected surface.
Although the veneer treatment with silica sol is less
effective for surface wetting decrease, moisture absorption
tests show the ability of this treatment to significantly reduce
moisture absorption, especially if the samples are exposed to
the short-term exposure.
REFERENCES
[1] J. MacGregor, Prepearing and applying decorative wood veneers and
inlays to substrates, Forest and wood products research and
development corporation, 2004, pp 80.
[2] Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook -- Wood as an
Engineering Material [authors book] Michael C. Characteristics and
Availability of Commercially Important Woods. Madison: Department
of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, 2010.
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